


Square One

by koolkatfieri



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koolkatfieri/pseuds/koolkatfieri
Summary: After Sha're's death,  Jack takes Daniel out for a beer to talk things over.First Sg-1 fic done for a writing exchange on tumblr or icalledhimsir. Very new to writing slash since I usually write crack, but I'm very happy to have done this to bring me out of my comfort zone :)
Relationships: Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson/Sha're
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	Square One

“What’s it all for anymore, Jack?” Daniel’s words cutting through the thick air of the empty bar.

Daniel was sat at the bar with a half-empty pint of beer next to one of the only friends he had. His best friend by circumstance. It was a sad sight even to an outsider. Two grown men on a Tuesday afternoon, sitting at a bar looking defeated. There was nothing sadder than an empty bar on a Tuesday afternoon. Well, maybe being the patrons on a Tuesday afternoon.

Daniel tossed back the rest of his beer and pulled out a five for another one. He looked over to Jack, who was nursing a pint and looking sympathetically at him.

“I’m serious, Jack. She’s dead, I’m injured, and I’m back here. Square one. Disgraced archaeologist with no one.”

The bartender brought over another beer and took Daniel’s five as Jack sighed.

“You _know_ what the point is. We do work that no one else is gonna do. You do work that no one else _can_ do. We need you, Daniel.”

Daniel quickly glugged down an eighth of his pint and glared at Jack. “I’m not implying _you_ should quit. I’m saying that what I set out to do failed and there’s no sense in my continuing. Sha’re was the only person I’ve cared about in years and she’s dead. Just like everyone else. I failed. I was at the SGC to save her and I couldn’t.”

There was a momentary gap in conversation as Jack thought of how to respond to his friend. It hurt to see him giving up. The thought of not having Daniel around haunted him. While the beginning had been rocky, Jack had truly grown to respect, admire and love Daniel. The space archaeologist was becoming his best friend, in a similar way to when you get sat next to the weird new kid in math class. A friendship that was only possible by circumstance; removing the fact that both parties would never have been interesting in speaking in a casual setting purely based on existing biases on looks alone.

Daniel was quickly chugging his beer like it was going out of style, anxiously planning how he would respond to whatever Jack said. He was dead set on quitting, though his conversational chess would soon be hindered by his low alcohol tolerance. A rookie mistake to be doing this at a bar.

“Y’know, you look great for carrying the world on your shoulders.” Jack stated. Daniel squinted at Jack, drinking more of his beer. He had not planned for that response, and it left him confused for a couple seconds. “What I’m saying, is that there was nothing you could have done. You know why it needed to happen. You heard Fraiser: there was nothing we could’ve done. You set standards for yourself that are so high, only God could adhere to them. You can’t go back and fix any of this. Take it for what it is and stop blaming yourself. It’s not healthy.”

“Jack-”

“Daniel. Listen to me. Take time to grieve without a beer in yer’ mits. If you still wanna quit when the wounds aren’t as fresh and you’re sober, sure. But until that point, ‘don’t drive angry’ so to speak.”

Jack was making sense, but that wasn’t to say Daniel agreed. While Daniel was a very emotionally driven person, he understood at times emotions clouded things. However, at this time it felt that the only decisions to be made were emotional. Besides, his whole point of being at the SGC was to find Sha’re. In his mind, he had no reasons for being there any longer. It would be hard, given his newfound friendship with his team. Jack had even weaseled his way into becoming his best friend. Daniel had developed strong feelings for the colonel over his time at the SGC. He didn’t want to admit they were romantic feelings, but there was hardly any sense in lying to himself when he had lost everything.

“C’mon, Daniel. Finish your beer and I’ll get ya home. I think you need some time” Jack said, ripping Daniel from his thoughts.

Daniel and Jack finished up their beers and headed to Jack’s car. Daniel still looked like a streak of misery, but that was to be expected. The drive to Daniel’s apartment was quiet as Daniel sat with his head leaned on the window, feeling a little tipsy. He was usually a goofy drunk. Telling fun stories about history or explaining some wild concept that no one really knew where he was going with it but him as he giggled along. Being a sad drunk was expected, but so out of the ordinary that Daniel regretted the choice of having three beers. It was too much. So many thoughts danced around his head. He thought about quitting the SGC, he thought about Sha’re, he thought about Jack’s advice and he thought about Jack in general.

Jack drove along with his stereo at an unprecedented low. The song whiter shade of pale could only just be heard over the road and engine noise of his truck. Every now and again, he would glance over to Daniel, sadly leaned up against the window. Soon before Daniel’s apartment, Jack reached his hand over to Daniel’s shoulder, but Daniel had sat up just in time to feel Jack’s hand brush against his cheek. Daniel felt his hear flutter.

“Things will only go up from here, Danny Boy.” Jack said, his voice low, matching the volume of the radio.

“I… I do appreciate this, Jack. I-I’m sorry if-uh I um am being difficult. What you’re doing means a lot.”

When the men got to Daniel’s apartment building, Jack looked into Daniel’s pained eyes softly. Again, the silence was only hindered by the low radio. Daniel sighed, dreading going into his apartment. It would be lonelier than before in a strange way. Up until this return home, Daniel had a sliver of hope that someday he and Sha’re would finally get their happily ever after that he craved so much.

The thought of never having Sha’re in his life again had always haunted him, but his optimism was usually able to push those thoughts to a back burner. Now the thought was on the front right burner, boiling over, and the nob was stuck on high. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be alone that night. Alone with his thoughts eating away at him over a long night. Did he need time to process? Of course. Was it maybe a little soon? He wasn’t too sure.

In a snap decision, one of the quickest he had made in his life, Daniel told Jack he wanted company for the night. Though surprised by Daniel’s request, Jack still nodded, putting his truck back in gear to park and go up to Daniel’s apartment. He was never opposed to helping Daniel out, and was frankly honoured that Daniel had even requested his company, seeing as back at the bar, it seemed as though all he wanted Jack to do was go away and leave him to rack up a tab.

When they got into Daniel’s apartment, Jack instinctively went into the kitchen to brew some coffee and let Daniel get settled. He had learned in college that one of the best ways to help anyone was to talk over some coffee in a space they felt safe in.

Jack brought the coffee out to Daniel who was wrapped in a blanket on the couch. He looked up at Jack as he set down the mugs and sat next to him. He smiled slightly upon seeing the colour of the coffee.

“You remembered how I take it…” He said softly. Jack smiled warmly and gave him a nod.

“Of course. You _are_ my best friend and all.” Jack replied with a slight laugh.

Daniel smiled upon hearing Jack refer to him as his best friend. He thought back to when they first met, those rough beginnings of borderline hating one another. Such a different time compared to that moment. Something felt so comforting about having Jack nearby. He was an ever-present thorn in Daniel’s side, but he was a loveable thorn in the side.

They sat in silence drinking coffee as the evening sun danced across the ever-darkening room as it set. Daniel thought of what to say, but his thoughts were too abstract to say. For such an articulate man, it was an unfamiliar feeling for him to be so lost for words. He was so out of it. He was so appreciative of Jack staying with him all day, and even more appreciative of the fact that Jack let him be the one to speak first. For once, Jack was just letting things play out, seeing where they went without seizing control of the situation. The little unspoken things were what made Daniel feel so comforted. Cutting him off at the bar, the car ride home, the subtle touches throughout the day all just made everything better.

As time went on, only single words were spoken as Daniel faded off to sleep. When he finally fell asleep, he landed on Jack’s chest. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Jack simply put his arm around his best friend and began to run his fingers through Daniel’s hair as the darkness finally fell on the room. In that moment, there was a certain air of peace, distracting from the rest of the week’s events. A calmness that they had always strived for but never could achieve given their own circumstances.

Jack held Daniel until he too dozed off for a bit. Waking up to the same darkness to Daniel stirring. He was still dazed from his sleepiness as Daniel planted a kiss on his cheek. He quietly thanked him for everything and returned to sleeping on Jack’s chest.

“We need you, Daniel… _I_ need you” Jack whispered.


End file.
